AI Rate Professor

Biotechnology

Laurie Issel-Tarver

BIO130 · BIO105 · BIO109 · BIOT105 · BIOT114 · BIOL102 · 24 lifetime ratings

AI rating
95/100
RMP rating
4.8/5
Take again
92.86%
Difficulty
2.5

The decision

if , and study for lecture-based exams—you will learn a lot from a truly supportive instructor.

Best fit · Effort For RewardCaring and kindAmazing lecturesLecture and test heavyBarely any homeworkStudy to pass
  • Nearly all reviews give her a 5 and call her the kindest, most caring biology professor at Ohlone.
  • ; but serious study is required for strong grades.
  • One harsh BIO130 outlier , and high-stakes midterms.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

FairEffort

70/100

Many call it an easy A if you study and show up, but and .

Online and in-person both stress studying; .

Is the course easy?

Beginner

68/100

and , though content can still feel hard af without attention.

; difficulty varies more by course level than format.

Is attendance flexible?

Recommended

48/100

, but multiple tags and comments warn that skipping hurts your chance to pass.

; in-person is mixed between optional and mandatory.

Is this professor recommended?

MustTake

92/100

About 93% would take again and comments repeatedly call her the .

Strong recommendation in both formats; the only low score is one in-person BIO130 review.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Lenient

74/100

, and easy labs help, though some still tag her a .

Format shift

and drops more than the two online reviews.

Workload

Light

78/100

; effort shifts to lectures, notes, quizzes, and exams.

Format shift

Consistent light HW across online and in-person comments.

Teaching experience

Excellent

93/100

23 of 24 quality ratings are 5s with constant praise for clarity, care, passion, and approachability.

Format shift

Both formats highly positive; one in-person BIO130 review is the main exception.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

72/100

Lecture-based midterms, finals, and weekly quizzes dominate; labs and .

Format shift

and BIO comments.

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

22 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

In-person students , and opportunities to improve, with a single very negative BIO130 review.

Main concern

Tests can be highly specific and a .

What students said

“Super friendly, the kindest professor at Ohlone.”
BIO105
“MUST STUDY TO PASS!! The easier.”
BIOL102
“as long as you show up it'll be an easy A.”
BIOT105

Remote format

Online

2 reviews

Low confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

Online and clear; note-taking and study matter, with straightforward labs.

Main concern

Attendance and notes are framed as necessary to pass.

What students said

“There isn't a lot of hw, but . The if you don't study or take notes.”
BIO130
“Dr. Laurie is an amazing professor and other than that a really good person with a lot of positive energy.”
BIO105

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams follow lectures and practice materials closely but can get very specific if you do not study.

Lecture-based examsMultiple choice and short answerWeekly quizzesPractice exams on CanvasOne midterm dropped

Assessment risk

Standard

62/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

and short answer from lectures, with helpful practice quizzes and .

Lecture-based examsMultiple choice and short answerPractice quizzes and examsOne midterm dropped
“ and short answer. If you know that you do not put too much effort into .”
BIOL102
“ . Just make sure you pay attention throughout the lectures and you'll be fine!”
BIO105

Online

Online students say exams are hard without notes and study; labs are straightforward.

Notes required for examsStraightforward labs
“The if you don't study or .”
BIO130

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“Super friendly, the kindest professor at Ohlone.”

Voice snapshots generated from 24 reviews (2 online, 22 , and study expectations. Credibility rating: High.

🌟 Teaching Quality

93/100

“Dr. Laurie is the .”

📚 Study Required

70/100

“MUST STUDY TO PASS!! The easier.”

❤️ Caring Instructor

95/100

“so kind and caring. if you watch her videos and ”

⚠️ Outlier Warning

25/100

“theres 3 midterms for this class and if you fail any of them, you'll lose your chance of barely passing this class.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • Amazing lectures
  • makes this hard af biology class easy to understand

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • .
  • easy A if the work is put in
  • .

Theme 3

❤️ About Character

  • the kindest professor at Ohlone
  • She is always there to help and is super easy to approach.
  • I wish she would adopt me.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

24

Recent reviews read by the AI

24

Lifetime ratings

88/100

Evidence confidence

24 detailed reviews from 2011-2023 with strong consistency on care and teaching, plus one clear dissenting BIO130 voice.

Inside 24 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 523
4 out of 50
3 out of 50
2 out of 51
1 out of 50

Course coverage

BIOT1058 reviews
BIO1057 reviews
BIO1304 reviews
BIOL1022 reviews
BIOT1142 reviews
Show 1 more courses
BIO1091 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

16 reported outcomes

A range

8

A+ 2 · A 6

B range

6

B+ 3 · B 3

C range

1

C 1

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

1

Drop/Withdrawal 1